‘Cicit Wan Lebo’ A Theatrical Promotion Of Perak Customs, Culture

IPOH, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- The ‘Cicit Wan Lebo' theatre performance, which uses the Perak Tengah accent, is a stage attraction to promote Perak customs and culture as well as invigorate drama activities in the state.

Its director Amran Nasrudin said that the theatre production will be starring actors who are Perak natives such as Anne Zahurin, Mubarak Majid, Reza Hasbi, Dewa Sapri, Zarina Zainuddin and Raisuddin Hamzah.

“We staged the same play two years ago, which took place at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Auditorium in Kuala Lumpur and this time we collaborated with Persatuan Seni dan Karyawan Perak Tengah to make it a success.

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“The way we are doing this is also one of our efforts to invigorate theatre events in Perak after experiencing gloomy times due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said at a press conference at the Perak State Culture and Arts Department (JKKN) here today.

Using the musical genre, ‘Cicit Wan Lebo’ has a duration of one hour and 30 minutes and tells the story of a woman known as ‘Wan Lebo’ played by Anne Zahurin who is renowned as a village midwife and traditional medicine practitioner (a community story in the 1970s setting).

She is also talented as a comforter for the sick who delivers messages and advice through an entertaining form of poems, verses and seloka (satire) to the residents of Kampung Ekor Bota in Parit.

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A conflict arises when she expects her great-grandchild Senah to be her heiress after she is gone, but Senah is more interested in becoming a nurse and Wan Lebo does not agree with her wishes.

Commenting on the theatre production, Amran said it will be staged for free at Dewan Ngah Sagor, Parit from Sept 26 to 28.

Meanwhile, programme adviser Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria said he was optimistic that the theatre drama would attract the interest of many groups and residents around Perak Tengah.

He added that this is because the accent and culture being highlighted in the theatre show is reminescent of experiences in the community, past or present-day.

“I am sure that the theatrical show will be well received because the ancestral accent or language used is the everyday language of people in Perak Tengah.

“That is one of its attractions and if you look at it more broadly it is one of the ways to reinvigorate the Perak Tengah region which we know was once famous for its arts and culture,” he said.

-- BERNAMA